Hillsborough County's only sandy beach is
on Egmont Key and can only be reached by boat. Nearby counties, however,
have excellent beaches. Inland parks offer calmer waters for small children
and canoeing/kayaking. This fourth most populated county in the state is
dominated by the city of Tampa with its wide array of recreational and
cultural attractions including
Florida Aquarium, Lowry Park Zoo and Busch Gardens Theme Park and
professional sports teams.

Hillsborough coast looks over
Tampa Bay, an estuary of national significance. Its 400 square miles are
fed by the Hillsborough, Little Manatee and Alafia rivers and more than a
hundred small tributaries. Over 200 species of fish, bottlenose dolphins,
manatees, oysters, scallops, clams, shrimp, crab, brown pelicans, heron and
egret, Roseate spoonbills, cormorants and laughing gulls inhabit the bay's
seagrass beds, mud flats and mangrove wetlands. A 43-foot deepwater shipping
channel is at the bay's entrance, while 17 Blueway Trails edge its
perimeter.

The Alafia River flows to Tampa Bay from Alafia River State Park through
Alafia River Corridor conservation lands with miles of equestrian and
hiking trails, camping, horse-drawn buggies, hunting and fishing. Facilities
are in Alderman's Ford Park.
Alafia River State Park has 17 miles of challenging off-road bicycling
trails, an abundance of wildlife, scattered lakes, canoeing and fishing,
picnic pavilions, playground, horseshoe pit, volleyball court and RV,
equestrian-friendly and primitive campgrounds.

Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve on Tampa Bay, the only aquatic preserve in
Florida that is not state-owned, is owned by the Hillsborough Port Authority.
Its 4,800 acres of submerged seagrass beds, hardbottom, oyster reefs and
two paddling trails wind through a maze of mangrove islands, nursery areas
for snook, red drum and other game fish.

Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge/State Park, accessible only by
private boat, is an island at the mouth of Tampa Bay six miles west of the
Sunshine Bridge. Primarily a wildlife refuge, it has no facilities, so bring
supplies. Popular activities include snorkeling and exploring trails and
historic sites such as 1858 Egmont Key Lighthouse and 1898 Fort Dade.

The swift (Class II Rapids)
Hillsborough River flows 60 miles through the
Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve, which supplies water to the
Tampa Bay area past wading birds, turtles, alligators, lilies and cypress
swamps, and through
Hillsborough River State Park. Originally a Civilian Conservation Corps
Park, it now offers fishing, canoe/kayak rentals and launch, nature trails,
ADA swimming pool, full-facility, youth/group tent and primitive camps, a
concession that provides breakfast, lunch, camping and picnic supplies,
four-wheel Surrey bikes and tours of
Fort Foster, the only standing replica of a Second Seminole War fort.

Ybor City Museum State Park, part of a National Historic Landmark
District in the urban setting of Tampa, traces the history of multi-cultural
Ybor City and its cigar-making industry which helped build the city of
Tampa. Guided tours are available.